Invasive No More – A Landscape Transformed

If you have 30 minutes to spare, take a walk to the Barry McPhail Bridge, go halfway across, and look southwest towards the showground. There, witness the collaborative efforts of a local bush regenerator and Kyogle Landcare volunteers.

Once besieged by the relentless grip of Cats Claw, Balloon Vine, and Madeira Vine, the trees that once languished beneath their invasive sprawl now stand liberated. The ground below has been painstakingly cleared of the noxious weeds that all too often plague the scenic waterways of our region. Notably, both Cats Claw and Madeira Vine, despite their charming appearance in bloom, conceal the insidious truth that they are silent assassins throttling our native trees and stifling the potential for our indigenous species to flourish.

Courtesy of funding from the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife (FNP&W) the initial assault on the invasive weeds has been successfully executed, paving the way for the planting of over 1000 native trees and lomandras. It is hoped that additional funding can be secured to sustain the ongoing battle against weeds. The vision is not only to preserve the hard-fought gains but also to nurture the initial plantings so that this area stands as a testament to what a “Gateway to the Rainforest” should exemplify.